Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” is a drilling process by which natural gas and oil are mined from the earth. Manufacturers use hydraulic fracturing to stimulate wells and recover gas from sources underground. The process can require equipment to fracture or break underground rock formations to aid in the flow of oil or natural gas in areas that otherwise would be difficult to extract resources.
The “fracking” market is a quickly evolving market that continues to require large horsepower capabilities from powered machines to operate. In conventional arrangements, a fracture rig trailer is mounted behind a large machine or vehicle for pumping natural gas or oil from the ground. The machine or vehicle can include an engine, drive unit or other power-generating mechanism and a transmission. As the market continues to evolve both domestically and internationally, the power requirements continue to increase. With the need for additional power, more capability and performance is required from the transmission.
With additional power needed from the engine or drive unit and increased performance required from the transmission, important considerations such as clutch control, cooling, etc. are needed for optimal transmission operation. Moreover, different control mechanisms are under consideration for transferring power from the engine or drive unit to the transmission control system.